To be eligible to participate in Special Olympics, you must be at least eight years old and identified by an agency or professional as having one of the following conditions: intellectual disabilities, cognitive delays as measured by formal assessment, or significant learning or vocational problems due to cognitive delays that require or have
required specially-designed instruction.

Special Olympics athletes are men, women, boys and girls with mental disabilities. They are like other athletes. They train and compete. They learn to win and to lose. They strive to do their best. They inspire us.

Training and competition opportunities are available for every athlete, regardless of gender, age or ability. No matter what their ability level may be, athletes can benefit from Special Olympics.

Complete the required State Special Olympics physical form (and Down Syndrome form if applicable) and get started!

b. Team Sports and Relay Events:
1) Junior: ages 15 and under
2) Senior: ages 16-21
3) Masters: ages 22 and over
4) Open Age Group: See above

An athlete’s age group is determined by the athlete’s age on the opening date of the competition or games. The age of the oldest athlete on a team is used to determine the age group in which that team will compete.

Combining Age Groups: In situations where there are not enough competitors to hold competition in a certain age group, the athletes will be moved into the next oldest age group or moved to an open age group.

Reimbursement Policy; Implemented August 5, 2003.

Special Olympics Kansas requires each local program to pay a registration fee for each state event that each athlete participates in. The Air Capital Flyers team covers the cost of this registration fee through our fundraising efforts.

Each registration fee paid helps the state office cover the cost of the tournament for both athletes and coaches. Every athlete will be registered for the state tournament unless the Team Director has been informed otherwise. Special Olympics Kansas issues an invoice to the Flyers that must be paid in advance of the State Tournament.

After this invoice has been paid, any athlete that does not attend the State Tournament will be required to reimburse the team the amount of the registration fee before participating in the next sport offered by the Flyers.

Physicals Cycle:

Physicals Given Between Expire
January 1, 2016 – December 31, 2017 December 31, 2018

NOTE: If an athlete has Down Syndrome, you must complete the separate Down Syndrome Addendum (this addendum only needs to be done one time).

Mail Physical forms to:

Glenn Jones
907 Wilbur Lane
Wichita, KS 67212

If you prefer you can also bring forms to practice and give to your coach or Glenn Jones.

Cancellation Policy:

Notice of cancellation, whether the notice is for practice, league or Regional play will be posted on our web site, ACFlyers.com. As the parent, staff, guardian or athlete, it is your responsibility to check the web site for practice status. Keep in mind, no decision will be made until after 3:30 p.m. the day of practice.

The decision to cancel practice due to the weather conditions is a judgment call. We have several coaches watching the weather development the day of practice. Trust that we have the situation handled. If a late decision to cancel practice has to be made, after 5:00 p.m., check the website, your e-mail or check the Air Capital Flyers Facebook page before heading to practice on days we have questionable weather. The absence of a notice indicates practice; league play or Regional events are being held as scheduled.

If any portion of Wichita (or all of Sedgwick County) is under any type of Severe Weather Warning at practice time, that practice will be canceled.

Heat Index Policy:

Special Olympics Kansas has also incorporated a Heat Index policy this year. They have added a Heat Index calculator to the Special Olympics Kansas web site, www.ksso.org. This calculator is located under the Event Calendar.

Heat Index Appropriate Action

90̊ – 102̊ Modify event; take water breaks every 15-20 minutes

103̊ No practice or events

Recreational Swimming Policy:

Special Olympics Kansas’ policy regarding the use of the motel pools is as follows:

Motel/hotel swimming is not a supervised Special Olympics Kansas activity even though teams traveling to a host city for the purpose of participating in a state
event are covered by SOKS insurance. It is necessary to comply with the following policies when allowing athletes to swim in motel/hotel pools:

1) Parents are allowed only to take their own child into the pool area, no other team athlete.
2) Coaches: If you are not a certified lifeguard, you are not allowed to take athletes into the pool area on your own.
3) If the hotel provides a certified lifeguard, or we provide at least one (1) certified lifeguard, then for every four (4) athletes swimming, there MUST be one (1) coach in the pool at all times.
4) Athletes with a history of seizures must have 1 on 1 supervision at all times.

Anyone found to be breaking these rules will be asked to leave the state event before it has been completed. Special Olympics Inc. takes this policy seriously
and will not tolerate non-compliance. Please do not put my coaching staff or myself in a position to have to ask you to leave the state event before it has been
completed.